Tag: Same

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Rest, Release, Refresh, Restore

How would you feel if someone came up to you today and said, “Give me all of your monthly bills; I’m going to pay them.” You’d get pretty excited wouldn’t you? But it wouldn’t happen until you did your part to actually hand that person your bills. They can’t pay them for you if you never release them. In the same way, when we release our cares and concerns to God, He promises to take care of them. So hand them over.

As you begin a new year, God wants to give you rest. He wants to refresh and restore your soul, mind, will and emotions. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of this stressful life, and before long, your mind, will and emotions are so spun that you can barely think straight! Remember, even in the hustle and bustle of life, you can find rest, ease and relaxation. During 2021 God wants to take care of everything that concerns you, so that you can find rest in your innermost being when you come to Him.

Today and throughout this new year, release your cares to the Lord. Let Him fill you with His peace and joy. Receive the rest, relaxation and restoration that He promises and enjoy the total fulfillment and blessings for your body, mind and emotions He has in store for you!

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV)

Let’s Pray

Jehovah, I humbly come to You. I choose to cast my cares on You, so that I can live in Your rest and break free from the stress of this life. Father, thank You for Your goodness to me. I give You my mind heal it and take control of all my emotions. Please God, lift my burdens and refresh my weariness. God, help me find ways to share Your rest and goodness with those around me, in Christ’ name! Amen.

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Declare It!

Did you know there is creative power in the words we declare? In the same way that God created the world with His words in Genesis 1, we “create” our own world with our words. We can create an atmosphere of peace, joy, power and love with our words, or we can create an atmosphere of strife, confusion and defeat.

Today, use your words to open the door for God to move, by declaring His Word over your life. Declare that His strength is at work in you. Declare that no weapon formed against you is going to prosper. As you declare God’s Word over your life, you’ll see it come to pass. You’ll feel His strength, joy and victory rising up inside of you, so that you can embrace the life of blessing He has prepared for you.

“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared.”(Numbers 14:17, NIV)

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, I recognize that there is creative power in my words. Father, help me, by Your Spirit, to use my words for good. God, remind me to always declare Your truth over my life, and over the lives of others. I bless You today and always, in Jesus’ name! Amen.

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Don’t Let It Expire

Godinterest: A Return to the Web of Old, While Pushing the Internet Forward

One day I received a gift card that I stored in a special place for so long that I forgot I had it? Most gift cards have an expiration date, and if you don’t use it, you will surely lose it! The same is true with the Word of God. No, the Word doesn’t ever expire, but we have to take action and use His Word in order to receive His promises. Just like you exchange your gift card for the things you need at the store, His Word gives you the power to receive every promise He has for you.

When you declare His Word and keep your heart and mind open to Him, you are using the gift. You are opening the door for Him to move in your life. For example, if you’re facing lack in any area, receive the gift of provision by declaring, my God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). If there’s a mountain in your way, receive the gift of victory that says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

Today and every day, use the gift He’s given you. Make His Word a priority and don’t let it depart from your mouth or your blessings expire. As you do, He’ll make your way prosperous, and you’ll enjoy the abundant life He has for you! 

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8, NIV)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for Your Word which is truth to set me free. Father, I determine in my heart to use my gifts before the expiration date, and set Your Word into motion in my life. God, keep me close to You so that I can please You in everything I do, in Christ’ name! Amen.

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Adopted!

Amazing! When we are born again, we become children of the Most High God! The scripture says we are “adopted” into His family. In the natural, by law, an adoptive parent can never disown their adopted child. In the same way, God will never disown you! When you receive Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you become a permanent part of God’s family.

It’s a privilege it’s a free gift, and when you receive this gift it’s the beginning of a long life of blessings. Receiving Him means receiving all that He is and all of His promises for your life. It’s a process, but remember, God is the one working in your life, and He promises to complete what He’s started in you. Your part is to keep your heart open and receive by faith every gift, every promise, and every blessing in His Word.

Today, why don’t you become part of God’s family? He is waiting to adopt you. Receive His gift of adoption by saying thank You. Receive His gift by declaring His truth over your life and be born again. Receive His gift by obeying the Word of God. Put the Word of God into practice in your life and receive every blessing He has for you! Become part of God’s eternal family. Hallelujah!

“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12, NIV)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for the gift of eternal, abundant life. I accept Your free gift of adoption. Today, I open my heart and mind to You. Have Your way in my heart and help me to receive the wonderful blessings You have for me, in Christ’ name! Amen.

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Don’t Let Jealous Folk Stop Your Praise

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." ?

Across the world, from Japan to the UK, we have experienced major droughts. In the Bible Isaac was in a great drought, but he went out and planted crops right in the middle of the famine. It didn’t make any sense, but somehow in that same year of drought, the Bible says, “Isaac received 100 times what he had sown, because the Lord blessed him.” Hallelujah!

What’s interesting is that when Isaac got blessed, the people around him, the Philistines and his friends, all of a sudden got jealous of him. They were fine as long as he was broke. As long as they were at the same level it was no big deal. But when he stepped up to a new level, when he began to wear his blessings well, the scripture says, “The Philistines hated Isaac.”

Today, you may have noticed, when you start to do better, the people around you don’t celebrate. They become jealous. But you can’t allow the attitudes of others to hold you back and cause you to live in mediocrity. Instead, when you’re blessed, brag on God! Shake off the criticism of others and receive His blessings. Wear it well because when you honour Him, He will continue to increase and promote you all the days of your life!

“Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the Lord blessed him.” (Genesis 26:12, NIV)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for every good and perfect gift that You have poured out on my life. Father, in humility, I choose to wear my blessings well. I won’t shrink back at the criticism of others; but instead, I will walk forward with You into the life of blessing You have prepared for me, in Christ’ name! Amen.

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Keep Adding Clean Water

Do you want to be changed? Meditate on God’s Word and His marvellous deeds and it will change you! It will begin to drive out old, negative thoughts and fill you with His strength and power. How does that happen? Imagine that you are holding a glass of dirty water in your hand. It’s full of all kinds of dirty particles. If you were to pour fresh, clean running water into that glass continually, and just let it overflow over and over, eventually all the dirty water would be gone. All you would have left is the pure, clean water. And, you wouldn’t have to really do anything to get rid of the dirty water, except allow the new, clean water to flow.

Today your mind is cleansed and renewed in the same way. By getting into the habit of pouring continuously the right thoughts–thoughts of faith, thoughts of victory, thoughts of praise–then before long, your mind is going to be transformed and renewed. You’re going to find yourself positive, hopeful, strong and courageous. You’ll see God’s hand of blessing and increase, and you will live the abundant, victorious life He has in store for you!

“Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvellous deeds, and devoutly praise them.” (Psalm 105:2, AMP)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, today I humbly submit my whole mind to You. Father, I choose to meditate on You and Your promises, so that You can cleanse and renew my mind. I commit to getting rid of my sinful dirty mind, by daily pouring in clean thoughts of faith, victory, praise, kindness and love. God, thank You for working in me, in Christ’ name! Amen.

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How To Change Bad Habits

The Church The Bad and The Ugly 3

What needs changing in your life? A bad habit, a bad attitude, or even negative, evil thoughts. You have to start by changing your mind. You have to change your thinking so that your thoughts are in line with God’s thoughts. When you make the decision to follow God in every area of your life, you open the door for His supernatural power to work.

I always say, your life will go in the direction of your thoughts. You can’t just allow any old thought or image to play in your mind. Nip it in the bud, you have to choose positive thoughts quickly.

Today, the easiest way to change your thoughts is by speaking God’s Word. When you say “mango,” you probably won’t start thinking about a banana. In the same way, when you confess the Word of God, which says you are more than a conqueror, you’re the head and not the tail, it will drive those negative, defeating thoughts away! Change your mind now by changing your words!

“Repent (think differently; change your mind, regretting your sins and changing your conduct), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:2 AMP)

Let’s Pray 

Yahshua, today I choose to take captive every thought that is contrary to Your will. Father, I repent for anything in my mind and behaviour that displeases You. God, empower me today to saturate my mind with Your Word, by Your spirit, so that I can bring honour to You, and break my bad, negative habits, in Christ’ name! Amen.

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A Full Life

Secrets to success in life in 2019

God wants you to live a full and satisfying life. He wants you to enjoy the fullness of the earth and all of life’s experiences. When you open your mind to new things and new situations, you are broadening your horizons and opening yourself to new opportunities.

We get stuck in a rut, doing the same thing the same way all the time. But when we open ourself to new people and new ideas, we are making room for God to reveal Himself to us. We are making room for Him to work in our life. Make the decision to explore something new this week. Take a different route home from work. Try something new on the menu at lunch.

Today, be open to new people who may not necessarily look like you, or act like you. Let God direct and broaden your horizons. As you do, you’ll encounter new opportunities and live the satisfied, full and complete life the Lord has in store for you!

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness of it…” (Psalm 24:1, AMP)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, I open my heart and mind to You today. Father, I ask that You help me broaden my perspective, so I can experience the full life You have for me, in Christ’ name! Amen.

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Just Do It!

Just Do It!

Nike has a slogan that says, “just do it.” Did you know that before Nike the Bible had a similar slogan? Jesus performed His first miracle, at the wedding celebration in Cana. Mary His mother knew that in order to see His power at work, there was one key: “Whatever He says, she said, do it.” It’s the same way with us today. Our obedience opens the door to see His power manifest.  

Scripture says, “If we are willing and obedient, we will eat the good of the land.” In other words, we’ll experience God’s abundant blessing when we follow His commands. Sometimes, we can be so focused on one thing, that we overlook simple obedience in other areas. For example, you may need a financial miracle. Maybe you’re tithing and sowing like you should, but are you holding unforgiveness towards someone? That can block the blessing and hinder your prayers. Is there anything else you know in your heart you need to do? 

Today, remember before Nike the Bible said “just do it.” Do exactly as God says, walk in total obedience, ask the Lord to search your mind and heart. Don’t let anything block His power. Follow the word of Mary in the book of John “Whatever He says, do it,” and watch that obedience open the door to His blessings in every area of your life! 

“…Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5, NKJV) 

Let’s Pray
Yahweh, I humbly come to You submitting every area of my life. Father, my goal and desire is to be obedient to You. God, grant me the spiritual strength I need to honour You by doing what You say. Show me any areas of my life where things need to change. I acknowledge Your Word and bless You today and always, in Christ’s Name! Amen.  

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How To Put God’s Blessings In Motion

How To Be Overwhelmed by God’s Blessings

You’ve probably heard the statement many times “God is a God of abundance!” It’s very true. He wants to pour out His blessings on you until you are so full that you are running over with His goodness.  

Scripture says, “Give, and it will be given to you.” Your giving is what sets the blessing of God into motion in your life. Your giving is a spiritual seed. In the natural, when you plant an apple seed, it doesn’t just grow a single fruit. That one seed grows into a tree that has an abundance of apples. The same thing happens when you obey God in your giving. You get an abundant harvest in return. You are so blessed that you can’t even contain it! You just have to keep giving, and the cycle just keeps repeating itself.  

Today, is there something the Lord is telling you to give (knowing that giving brings abundance)? What do you have in your hand that you can use to be a blessing to someone else? Take a step of faith, sow that seed and set the blessings of God in motion in your life, and open the door to His abundance! 

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap…” (Luke 6:38, NIV) 

Let’s Pray 
Yahweh, I receive Your Word into my heart. Father, thank You for choosing to bless me so that I can be a blessing to others. God, show me where to plant my seed, so that I can receive the harvest of abundance You have for me, in Christ’s Name! Amen. 

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Let’s Pray Differently

7 Heroes of Faith and the Power of Prayer in Their Lives

Lately, I’ve found myself constantly praying for God to change my situations.

As if he doesn’t realize how messed up the world is. How broken we are. How chaotic 2020 has felt. I ask Him to change the circumstances surrounding me as if He’s just sitting up in heaven watching Netflix completely unaware of what’s happening in this world He created. As if He’s forgotten about us down here. But He hasn’t. He knows what’s happening. Nothing that happens in this world happens without his consent. He’s allowing it to continue to happen because He’s not done doing what He’s planning to do with it. Are you following?

Now let’s turn to the Old Testament superstar of struggle… Job. His story is unique in that we get a little glimpse at the dialogue between God and Satan. Satan and his angels come to God and get this… he had to ask God’s permission to mess with Job’s life. God literally gave His consent for the enemy to do whatever he wanted with everything Job had, but with an important condition: “…but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” (Job 1:12b)

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the story, Satan proceeded to take away everything Job had including all of his livestock and fields, his wife and children, and even his health. He left Job broke and alone, but through all of Job’s struggles and heartache, God was never worried because He still held Job’s life. God’s protection was on him the whole time.

So now that we’ve seen God’s side of it, let’s look at Job’s perspective. How did he respond? Well Satan’s plan here was to get Job to curse the name of God, but Job wouldn’t do it. Even after everything was taken from him and his three friends blamed him for his misfortune and gave him a bunch of bad advice, Job still praised God. His faith was not shaken. He prayed things like this:

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” – Job 23:10

and this…

“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:2

Even when he had nothing, Job still held on to the faith that God would use all of those awful circumstances to refine him like gold. He still acknowledged God’s power and honored Him. I want to pray like Job.

Instead of praying for God to change my circumstances, I want to pray that God will never stop using my circumstances to change me. I challenge you to do the same. Instead of praying for God to “fix” things so they can go back to our broken version of “normal,” let’s ask Him to keep shaking things up until they’re better, new, and more reflective of His kingdom.

“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven…'” – Matthew 6:9-10 (emphasis mine)

Let’s ask Him to change our hearts in the face of uncertainty rather than asking Him to make COVID-19 go away. Let’s ask Him to cover our family with peace in the face of loss rather than blaming him for taking our loved one away. Let’s ask Him to change the hearts of those corrupted by power and authority instead of acting in violence in response to offense. Let’s ask for the coming of His glorious kingdom rather than asking for a perfect life in our own little bubble.

Because here’s the thing: circumstances will always change and more often than not, they will be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and difficult. So let’s stop complaining and wishing for an easier life.

Sooner or later, you’ll have to respond, and it’s how we respond that matters. It’s how God is using it to make us look more like Him that matters. It’s how it fits in to the bigger picture of the redemption of God’s creation that matters.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” – Thessalonians 5:16-18

So, let’s not get swept up in trying to pray away our problems. Let’s take up a different stance, and pray through them, because that allows God to change us, grow us, and mold us to better reflect His glory.

Remember, nothing in this world happens without God’s consent. Your bad day didn’t sneak past His radar while He was enjoying His morning coffee. He allows our circumstances to be difficult because He wants us to be a little uncomfortable, because that’s when we turn to Him and lean on Him so He can remind us of His power and glory. So let’s embrace whatever circumstance we find ourselves in and commit to seeking out the Lord and His goodness. Because no matter how broken we are, He is always good.

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Don’t Judge Me

If you know me I can be very critical at times. Just recently I had to learn this valuable lesson, criticism given in the wrong way can make us feel anxious and in some cases, worthless. But when it’s given fairly and constructively, with real care and encouragement, not only does it show us where we’re going wrong, it fires us up to want to improve. So when we’re trying to help someone improve, let’s do it with kindness, understanding and empathy.

If it’s constructive, criticism can be a good thing. If we point out mistakes from a position of love and of wanting the other person to be the best they can be, it’s a useful tool that we can use to help others improve. Otherwise, it can easily turn into a destructive force that discourages and breaks people apart. We tend to find it easy to point out failings and weaknesses in others, while overlooking or excusing our own faults.

Jesus says: ‘How can you say to your friend, “Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye”? Look at yourself! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. You hypocrite!’ (Matthew 7:4-5 NCV). Strong words, so we definitely need to take notice and avoid being unfair and judging others more harshly than we judge ourselves. Sometimes we might be overly critical to try and make ourselves look or feel better. Or we might be trying to hide the wounds of past experiences by using anger and criticism as a form of defence. 

Today, whatever the reason, Jesus gives us clear instructions, ‘Do not judge, or you too will be judged.’ When God looks at us and sees our faults and all the mistakes we make, He treats us with grace and gently corrects us. But what if God criticised us as harshly and as often as we criticise others? We’d soon feel completely depressed and wounded. The truth is, God, who has the highest standards of all, treats us with love and care even when we fail to live up to those standards. So when we need to correct someone, let’s do the same, and aim to encourage, not discourage.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.’ MATTHEW 7:1 NIV

Lets’s Pray

Yahweh, I thank You for this timely advice not to judge others. I surrender my negative critical mind to You. Please Father, change me so I won’t be judgemental and hypocritical. God, help me to look at myself first before looking at others. Show me how to be constructive and encouraging when I have to criticise, and never to be discouraging and cause depression and discontent, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

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Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results

Photo by Leonardo Sanches

There is an old saying – “you can’t do the same thing all the time and expect a different result.” Too often, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, doing the same thing, the same way, over and over every day. But if we are going to live at our absolute best, our optimum, we should constantly be growing and sharpening our skills. We should strive to learn and grow every single day, because when you stop learning, you stop growing. When you stop growing, you stop living.

Right now what are you doing to stretch yourself? What are you doing to improve your skills? Don’t get trapped into thinking that what you are doing is good enough. You were created for more than just average. Hallelujah!

Today is a new day, and there are new heights for you to climb. Pursue what you love and keep developing that area of your life. Take a class, or find a mentor that will help you live skillfully. Increase in your spiritual giftings. Be skilled at your work and stand blessed before leaders, rulers and politicians!

“Do you see someone skilled in their work? They will serve before kings…” 

(Proverbs 22:29, NIV)

Pray With Me
Yahweh, today I choose to rise out of mediocrity. I want to live and not just survive. I want to stop doing the same thing everyday and expecting a different result. Father, I choose to give my very best to everything I do. Teach me how to grow, improve, and stretch myself, so that I can live a better life and be the best I can be. God, teach me to live skillfully, so that my life is a continual praise to You, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

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“It’s not GAY to straight. It’s lost to saved.” One lesbian’s Journey to Salvation

At 15 years old, Emily Thomes began dating a girl for the first time. Word began to spread, and she started getting questions from friends.”Are you and her gay together?” they would ask. 

Emily knew that she could either cower away or own her homosexual lifestyle — so she decided she was going to own it.

Emily's testimony:

"I was 15 and I started dating a girl that lived down the street from me. It was my first time ever dating someone and being official. I was pretty pumped. I got a hickey. My dad saw it and was livid. I love her. It's a girl and I'm going to be with her. And this is how it is. It went terribly wrong."

"I said yes what about it. Love is not necessarily between a man and a woman. The problem was backwards thinking that":

Like many people in today’s culture, Emily clung to a watered-down version of the Gospel that said, “God being love meant God was nice and God was chill with what you were cool with.”

Emily said “If you were truly a Christian, you were on my side. If not, you were legalistic and needed to reread what God was really about. Judge not. God being love meant God was nice and and God was chill with what you were cool with. By 18, 19, 20 I was super wild and in serial relationships with women,” Emily explained of her past views."

"When I got to nursing school I met the girl that I ended up being engaged to. I kind of slowed down a little bit for her because she had two kids. And then at 22 I got invited to a Bible study."

Eventually, Emily became engaged to one of the women she dated. And then, at 22, was invited to a Bible study. “I expected them to bring up my lifestyle really early, and then (I) would use that as justification for not coming back, so I agreed to go.” As women shared their own testimonies, she started realizing she had nothing like that and it “bugged” her. “I could not stop thinking, ‘what if all of it is true?'” she said. 

Emily Googled verses on homosexuality and was directed towards a passage that would strike her to the core. It was 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10, which reads:

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Emily's testimony continued:

"It scared me really really bad. And then I read verse eleven"

Amazed by the fact that there were people who’d been equally as reckless as her in the past, but Jesus still washed them clean, Emily had a revelation. 

“I knew that God could do that for me too, and that I needed that. I could hold onto my sin and reject God, or I could turn to him. All the debt that I’d racked up living like I lived, didn’t have to be mine, if I could trust Him. So that was it. I knew what I wasn’t going to do, because it was right there it was black and white. I’d twisted those Scriptures before, I’d argued them down. I said judge not to them like that mattered. And then, that day, it was like my eyes were really opened. I was amazed at the grace He showed me.”

A very powerful testimony, and one that clearly articulates how we can witness to those who find themselves in the same lifestyle Emily was in. Watch & share below:

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I’m White, Privileged With a Message on Racism That The World Is Missing

Racism is a pretty controversial topic, especially in the world we live in today. Among Christians, things can get especially dicey, as the rest of the world’s eyes are just staring and waiting for us to make a mistake.

Remember in Matthew 22:39 when Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself?” Right there, the Bible is directly telling us that to loathe someone based solely on the color of their skin, is a sin. But I didn’t always understand that.

It’s easier to admit to sin when everybody else has done it, but here I am today doing something that’s far from easy; I struggled to love my neighbor as myself. It wasn’t how I was raised, but the environments I was around in every single job situation planted seeds of hate into my heart. I pushed away when God started to deal with me about it. I’d say things like, “I’m not racist. I have diversity in my life. I’m not a hater.”

Yet all the while, I wouldn’t speak up when my coworkers at a freelance writing gig would tell racist jokes, sometimes I’d even play along just because “everybody else was doing it.” I worked for almost eight months for an internet political publication; an environment that was toxic waste disguised as candy. Some of the articles I was assigned to write were satirical and entertaining, but then there was a vast majority that I was told to write, that made ugly and cringy remarks about other races, cultures, and people in general in ways I wasn’t comfortable doing. But like an idiot, I didn’t refuse to do the work; I played along in hopes of gaining everybody’s favor.

After a while, all the jokes and satirical remarks started to become more than just horseplay; I started to really believe the things I was being told and dwelled on how much I didn’t like people who weren’t like me. Still, when God would deal with me about it, I would shove it off and say that “I just wasn’t like that.” That it was all fun and games. I was living a lie.

Eventually, the publication went out of business, and I went on to pursue other writing opportunities. I was upset at the time, but now I thank God that he took me away from all that stress.

It was at a church conference that God started to deal with me again. I realized that though I wasn’t as “extreme” as people you might see online, I was enabling it, writing and promoting it, and thinking those thoughts. God told me that he did not call me to be a hater, and during the altar call I ran, fell to my knees and poured my heart out to Him and told him how sorry I was. I know that He has forgiven me, and restored me to a place of love rather than hate.

I’m telling you all of this because I know I’m not the only one who has struggled in this area. I didn’t like the person I let the world turn me into, and God didn’t either. God has commanded us to love, not hate.

Today I am not the same person I was when I began my pursuit of writing. God took away the ugly sin and created a beautiful testimony; one that I will not shy away from. Am I ashamed of all the ugly things I published during my first writing gig? Absolutely. But it is a reminder of who I was before God totally transformed my mindset. I am no longer addicted to outrage, hatred is not in my heart; instead, God’s love has completely and totally transformed me.

God wants to deal with you about some stuff too; stuff that may not necessarily be easy to admit to yourself that you’ve done. But once you’re honest with both yourself and God, and ask for His forgiveness, it will radically change your life.

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Should I Do Yoga if I am a Christian?

Recently I’ve been on a spiritual journey that includes deep prayer, meditation, and mindfulness to help me to connect with God. At the same time, I’ve also been on the hunt for some low-impact stretching that could potentially help with chronic pain in a natural way.

Meditation and stretching. Put those two together and what do you get?

Yoga.

So, I’ve said I need to stretch. And I find that meditation brings me closer to God. These all naturally come together in the form of yoga. But, as a Christian, should I do yoga? Am I allowed? Will Jesus love me less?

Well, first, let’s see”¦what does the Bible say about the word “yoga”? Nothing. Zero. There’s no record of that word being used.

So now what do I do? Since the Bible doesn’t talk about yoga specifically, I have to use the brains God gave me to dig a bit deeper. Then I can determine how best to deal with this current cultural trend.

Let’s start with a few of the basics:

Yoga began as a spiritual disciple in Hindu which includes breath control, meditation, and static postures of the body. Some people who practice yoga are active Hindus or Buddhists. Many are not.
In the western world, yoga is a broad term that is often descriptive of people engaging in the physical body postures that encourage strength and stamina. Sometimes this is combined with meditation for mental strength, but not exclusively. Some yoga classes used sacred words such as “Om”, “Namaste”, and certain chants that hint to Buddhism and Hinduism. Other classes make no reference to the spiritual world at all and are simply a form of physical exercise. Yoga potures have Sanskrit names that have spiritual meanings. Many times these are replaced with English names that simply describe the form the body is taking. (For instance, “lotus” has become “criss-cross applesauce”.)

The word “yoga” in Sanskrit means “yoke” or “union with God”. God tells me to not worship another god, and I must obey.

So I know that yoga started as an ancient spiritual practice of another religion which should lead me to move forward with caution. But I also know that Jesus came to redeem all things.

Is it possible to engage in a moderated form of yoga that feeds our Christian souls, or should we avoid it altogether? Can we be aware of the potential pitfalls and dangers of the spiritual side of yoga and then practice it in a meaningful way with a Christian bent and attitude?

The famous American minister John Piper seems to think that we can’t. He says we should avoid yoga completely, citing it as antithetical to Christianity.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Piper has some good things to offer. But in this situation I tend to think that maybe he’s throwing the proverbial “baby out with the bathwater”.

Christians have often taken “secular” symbols or practices and re-stored them into something that is healthy and even God-glorifying. Take Christmas, for example. December 25, the day on which we now celebrate Jesus’ birth, was reclaimed from the pagans. That date was redeemed from a pagan holiday to a Christian celebration.

Jesus has come to redeem all things. Even pagan holidays. Possibly even stretching and meditation and breathing?

Over the ages, Christians have used wisdom and the discernment to choose what is right for them as individuals and as a Body of believers. To apply Jesus’ redemption to various non-Christian things.

“Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial.” 1 Corinthians 10:23

So I need to decide if yoga could be beneficial (or detrimental) to me. In my case, I truly believe God has given me the wisdom and discernment to be able to stretch and strengthen my body without accidentally worshipping a false god. I even believe that I can meditate and breathe while I simultaneously reflect and contemplate how incredible God is. All without slipping into the devil’s snare.

But I am aware that this may not be the case for all people.

Personally, think that I can apply the idea of a “yoke” or “union with God” in yoga to my relationship with Christ. But that doesn’t mean I’ll just sign up for any yoga class that is offered. I need to be wise and first ask questions about how spiritual a class is before taking it. For my own purposes, I tend to learn at home with videos, so there’s not much of a risk of me getting caught in an awkward situation. If something gets a little weird, I can just turn it off.

Holy Yoga is a practice that is gaining traction, offering the grounding of the Gospel while reframing the positive aspects of yoga in a Christian way.

“Holy Yoga embraces the essential elements of yoga: breath work, meditation and physical postures. In all of these elements, Christ is the focus of our intention and worship.”

So as I‘m making a decision about yoga (or anything in my life!), I need to ask if it creates a risk of becoming a detriment to my walk with Jesus. If so, then I absolutely shouldn’t do it! But if yoga can be practiced in a way that is healthy to my body and mind, while drawing me closer to Christ with mindfulness and meditation, then is it possible that even John Piper can’t argue with that?

 

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